A former professional basketball player trying to join the women’s professional ranks was kicked out of a game Sunday night, sending fans of President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement into a tailspin.
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Enes Kanter Freedom, a Turkish-American basketball player who played 11 seasons in the NBA, recently declared for the 2027 WNBA draft in protest of the league’s eligibility guidelines. The guidelines say “only players who are women” are eligible to play, language that has opened the door for transgender athletes to compete in the league. Freedom, in turn, has publicly claimed that he now “identifies” as a woman, even though he does not bear any of the gender markers. MAGA fans have latched onto Freedom’s antics in furtherance of their attacks against people who identify as transgender.
Freedom attended Sunday night’s WNBA game in Chicago between the Sky and the Indiana Fever wearing a black T-shirt with the dictionary definition of “woman” printed on it. He was also accosted by fans outside the stadium, and took a picture outside a women’s restroom with the caption, “Rules are rules,” a shot at the league’s eligibility guidelines.
During the game, Freedom got into an argument with Aicha Coulibaly, a guard for the Sky, and was removed from the game.
“I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!” Freedom posted on X after the incident.
Video of Freedom being escorted out of the arena enraged some MAGA fans, who shared their reactions on social media.
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“Got triggered by a Pro Women shirt. I promise the WNBA doesn’t have long,” Breiden Fehoko, a former NFL player, posted on X. “Joke of a league. How ass-backwards do you have to be to be anti-pro-woman but have no smoke for trans athletes? You’re a legit woman hating on someone wearing a shirt that SUPPORTS YOU.”
“Talking s— to a guy in the crowd for his shirt while down by 6 is certainly a choice,” Greg Price, a Newsmax host, posted on X.
“The WNBA is trash. Time to shut it down,” MAGA influencer David Freeman, who goes by the name “Gunther Eagleman” on social media, posted on X.
“That’s no way to treat your #1 prospect,” Tim Young, a MAGA media personality and media fellow at the Heritage Foundation, posted on X.
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Enes Kanter was kicked out of a WNBA game after arguing with players pic.twitter.com/ovT25sgORF
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 24, 2026
